Moving-picture machine.



G. R. UEBELMESSER.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 28, 190E.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. R. UEBELMESSER. MOVING PICTURE MACHINE. urmcnxon FILED APR.28,1908.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0. R. UEBELMESSER.

MOVING P-IGTUBB MAGHINE. AI'PLIOA'I'IOH nun APB.28,1908.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

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G. R. UEBELMESSERJ MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

ArPLIoA' 'mn mum APR.2B,1908.

1,023,053. Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

O. R. UEBBLMESSER.

MOVING PICTURE mom's.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28,1908. 1 023 053 Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

8 SHEETSSHEET 5.

ODOODUOODD 1X W my,

0. R. UEBELMESSER.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28, 1908.

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uuuuunnuuunnnunnuuunn unpu Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

G. R. UEBELMESSER. MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APB.28,1908.

Patented Apr.'9, 1912.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

G. R. UEBELMESSER.

Movme PICTURE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APB. 28,1908.

1,023,053. Patented Apr. 9, 19 12.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 8.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. UEBELMESSER, OF YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN MOVINGPICTURE MACHINE COMPANY, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MOVING-PICTURE MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. UEBEL- 'Mnssnn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

siding in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York,have in vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Moving-PictureMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in that. class of machineswhereby suitable pictures are thrown upon a screen in rapid successionso as'to create the illusion of movement. v

Amongthe objects of-the present invention is the provision of noveldevices for the following purposes, viz.to facilitate rapid and easymanipulation of the picturebearing ribbon; to prevent all danger of theribbon catching fire; to secilre a maximum rapidity of movement duringpicture substitution without corresponding increase in progressive speedof the ribbon; to easily and accurately adjust the centering of thepictures with regard to the lens,-t'0 promote accessibility of theribbon and its driving gears at all times; and to provide a number of'detailed improvements hereinafter described and set forth in the claimshereto appended.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,wherein Figure 1 is a front View ofmy moving picture machine; Fig. 2 isa side elevation looking from the left in Fig. 1, the reel boxes beingin section; Fig. 3 is a side elevation as seen from the right in Fi 1;Fig. 4 is a rear -view with the tilting ack removed; Fig. 5 is asectional view of a detail; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on ab in Fig.1, the tilting back being swung away from the body of the machine; Fig.7 is a top plan View; Figs. 8 and 9 are a sectional View and elevationof certain details in the ribbon. supports; Figs. 10 and 11 are aperspective and-section of a port on of the vertical adjustingmechanism; F1gs. 12 and 13 are a back view and vertical section of thetilting back; Figs. 14 and 15 are a front view and vertical section ofthe guard plate, and Figs. 16, 17, 18 and 19 are detalls.

The various parts of my preferred construction as shown in the drawingsare supported upon two frames, one of which is arranged to slide uponthe other; this latter, or main frame, being stationary. The main frame,shown at 1, stands directly upon the platform or other stationarysupport 2, and bears in front the stationary face plate 3, carrying thelensholder i. A platform 5 forms part ofthe main frame 1 and there isfixed to it the stationary diaphragm 6, having an aperture 7, whosecenter is in the line of collimation of the lens in the carrier 4. It ispast this opening 7 that the pictures are successively carried.

The secondary or sliding frame is shown at 8 and is provided. with earsor lugs 9 through which pass the vertical guides 10, forming part of themain or stationary frame. The driving mechanism and all the other movingparts of my device, excepting the reels, their intermediate and drivinggears and the constantly moving feed sprocket, are carried upon thesliding frame 8, as about to be described.

It is obvious that any suitable source of power may be applied to drivethis machine, and, in the form illustrated, I have shown a crank 11turned by a handle 12 and driving a main shaft 18, said crank beingintended to be turned in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2. The mainshaft 13 extends across the sliding frame 8, having its bearings on theopposite sides thereof and carrying the main driving gear, 1 1,preferably made with inclined teeth.

A countershaft 15, parallel to 13 and above it, carries a pinion 16which is driven by the main gear 14. Upon this countershaft there isalsov carried an inclined toothed pinion 17 which virtually forms acontinuation of the pinion 16 and serves to drive the horizontallyrotating pinion 18 on the vertical shaft 19. A bracket 20 on the slidingfran'ie affords one bearing for the shaft 19 whose upperend-passes,through a bearing 21 011 top of the frame 8 and then into arotary sleeve 29 having a bearing in the post 23 on the platf rm 5 (seeFigs. 4 and 5). The top of the shaft 19 has a longitudinal groove, asshown in Fig. 5, into which projects the screw pin 24:. This pin alsoserves tosecure the collar 25 to the and pinion 26 will turn with saidshaft.

The pinion 26 drives the pinion 27 which is fast upon the countershaft28, and the stationary sprocket wheels 29 for continuous feed of thepicture tape are fast upon this countershaft. These cooperate in a wellknown manner with pairs of grooved wheels 30, 31, in receiving andpassing on the perforated picture tape 32 as it moves toward theexposure opening. The wheels 30,31 are rotatably mountedupon a stud 33,fast on a shaft 3 1, which can be rotated by the handle bar 35, so as tobring the stud and wheels into the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 2, when it is desired to adjust the ribbonv 32 with respect to thesprocket wheels 29. v

The outer extremity of the shaft 28 is supported .in a bearing 36 on abracket 37 projecting from the main frame 1, and it carries a sprocketwheel 38 over which passes a sprocket chain 39 driving a second sprocketwheel 40 which is loose upon the common driving shaft 41 of the tworibbon carriers. A spring 42 presses the sprocket wheel40 against a disk4:3 which is fast upon the shaft 41, and thus movement of the wheel 40is transmitted to the shaft 41 by friction, whereby is permitted acertain amount of lost motion between the constantly moving ribbonsprockets 30, 31 on one hand and the shaft 41, and therefore the ribboncarriers, on the other hand.

The roll from the interior convolutions of which the picture ribbon isdrawn is con tained in a rotary circular casing 242, mounted upon ashaft 45 so as to turn within a fireproof box secured to the top of themain frame 1, and provided with a cover 17 The shaft 45 carries a bevelgear-48 which is driven by a similar gear 49 upon the shaft 41. Thecarrier 14 turns between the upturned arms 50 of a cross frameattached'to the main frame 1. This cross frame supports a guide bar 51,hinged to one of the arms 50 and supported at its opposite end upon theother arm. This guide bar car riesa horizontal guide roller 52 and twovertical guide rollers so arranged that the ribbon 32passes over theroller 52 and is kept in the middle thereof by rollers 53, so as toprevent buckling back as it is drawn from the roll. A bracket 51 extendsup ward from the top of the main frame 1, through the bottom of the'box46 and earries two supplemental guide rollers 55, be-

tween which the ribbon32 passes on its way down through the machine. 1

r In order that both roll carriers shall hollow shaft 59.

anemone always move in unison, I provide a positive transmission gearingbetween them which preferably takes the form shown in the drawings.Here, the shaft 4-1 is provided with a sprocket wheel 56 which drives achain 57 passing over the sprocket wheel on the conntershaft 59. Thiscounter,- shaft turns in fixed brackets 60 and turns the reel whoseflanges are shown at 61 and 62, and on'which the ribbon 32 is woundafter passing through the machine. This receiving reel is preferablyprotected by a fire proof casing 63, attached to the main frame, saidcasing being provided with a narrow opening 64- through which the ribbon32 is carried in to the reel.

In order that the roll of ribbon 32 may be readily removed from thereceiving reel, it is desirable thatone of the flanges of said reelshould be easily removable and that the reel should be removable fromthe shaft, and for these purposes I have devised the construction shownin Figs. 8 and 9. Here the end of the shaft 59 is made hollow, and uponit the reel may he slipped as a whole, so that the projection or catch65,

which is fast on the shaft, engages with the ;reel, so that it shallturn with the shaft.

In this position the reel held by the hook 6 whose shank is pivoted at67 within the Alongside of the hook 66, within. the shaft 59, there liesthe operating plate 68, having one slot passing over the pivot 67, and asecond slot 69, into which projects a pin 70 on the hook (is. ihe latterslot is so shaped as to raise the hook into the position shown in Fig.when the operating plate is pushed inward; and, when this plate ispulled outward, to depress the hook 66 and thus permit the reel to bedrawn off of the shaft 59. 4

The flange 61 is preferably taken off and put onto the reel as follows.The reel is provided with two (or more) recurved lips 71, and the flange62 has corresponding openings 72 which can be slipped over these lips asshown in Figs. 8 and 9, after which the flange is rotated so as to cause the bases of'the lips to slide into the narrow curved slots 73extending from each opening 72. In this position the flange is firmlyheld in place, but can readily be removed by a slight circular movement.Returning now to the main driving gear 14, it will be seen H1 Fig.4 thatthis gear also drives the pinion "74 which turns the shaft 7 5, uponwhich are mounted the constantly rotating rib hon-engagingsprocket-wheels 76. These elements are mounted upon the slidingsecondary frame 8. I p

The intermittent movement of the ribbon is produced as follows: Theshaft 15, driven as heretofore described, carries a gear wheel 77 whichdrivesthe pinion 78 on;

.faced cam 81.

the sleeve 79, which surrounds the shaft 80, and to which sleeveisattached the inclined On the extremity of the shaft is another gearwheel 82 which drives a pinion 83 which is fast on the shaft 80. Iprefer to place a flywheel upon the shaft 80 as shown in Fig. 4 at 84.The

gears 77 and '82 with their cooperating pinions are so proportioned asto carry out the functions hereinafter described with relation toact-ion ofthe cam 81. The sprocket wheels 85, which act directly uponthe rib- .bon 32 for producing intermittent move ment thereof, aremounted upon a'shaft 86 driven by a star wheel 87 which forms the drivenmember of a novel form of Geneva movement whichfcrms the subject matterof my application for patent filed March 24th, 1908, Serial No. 422906.As most clearly shown in Fig. 6, this shaft 86 is mounted and turns inrotatable eccentric bearings, 88, whereby the position of the wheels 85and star wheel 87 can be acourately adjusted to compensate for wear inthe star wheel.

The novel driving member of the Geneva gear preferably employed in mydevice and claimed in my aforesaid application for patent, comprises theusual pin carrying disk 89 with the cylindrical extension 90, which aremounted so as to slide along the shaft 80 when impelled by the pin 91.This latter pin passes through a guide disk 92, fast on the shaft 80,and the rear extension of said pin bears, as shown, against the inclined face of the rotary cam 81. The operating pin 91 is connectedpivotally, by means of levers 93, pivoted to the shaft 80, to a secondpin 94, which also bears upon the cam 81, but 180 degrees away from thepin 91. (See Figs. 4 and 6.) It will be seen that this constructioninsures the pin bearing disk 89 (which directly drives the star wheel)turning always with the shaft 80; but, as the cam 81, turning with adifferent speed, acts to draw the disk 89 alternately from and towardthe star wheel, this latter will only be intermittently driven. I preferto so calculate the relative speeds of the shaft 80 and cam 81, that thedriving disk 89 only acts every second revolution to impel the starwheel, although it is within the scope of my invention to makeengagement and operation less frequent. By this lneans I am able todouble the speed of the driving shaft 80, so as to double the speed ofmovement of the pictures during substitution, while making no change inthe number of pictures per second exposed. I have been able to get rid'of all appreciable flickering by adapting this construction and toobtain excellent results without using a shutter.

It is to be understood that my machine upon a short stud 96 whose pinion97 (pref erably having inclined teeth) is driven by the pinion 98 uponthe end of the shaft 80. The main driving mechanism and the intermittentribliion-driving gears are all mounted upon the sliding frame 8,intended to be moved up and down so as to accurately adjust the picturesin proper position with respect to the opening 7 in the fixed plate 6.(See Figs. 13 to 19.) The means preferably employed for producing thisup anddown movement of the frame are shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6, 10 and 11.The frame 8 carries horizontal guides 99, between wl ich slides thelifting plate 100, which is ciambered out ,to receive the disk 101. Theplate 10 is preferably split, as at 102, and the screw 103 is Arevoluble shaft 104 traverses the disk 101, being made fast to saiddiskand having bearings shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This shaft has a collarat 105 which prevents its withdrawal from the frame work, and a secondcollar at 100, whereby the disk 101 is held in place. As best shown inFig. 6, a removable key or handle 107 can be slipped over the end of theshaft 104, engaging with the cross pin 108 to revolve said shaft. It isobvious that, by turning the shaft 10 1 one way or the other, theeccentric disk 101 is made to raise .or lower the whole frame 8. Thisarrangement is self-supportsupported and guided in a manner to protectit from all danger of confiagration due to the heat from the source oflight. The 1 means preferably employed for this end are best shown inFigs. 12 to 19 taken in connection with Figs. 2, 3 and 1. As the rib bonleaves the carrier box 416 it passes be,- tween the metal rolls 109 (seeFig. 2) which are placed so close together that, even if any flame wereto spread so far, they would prevent its passage. These rolls are placedvery close to the top of a fire-proof chamber 110, and substantiallyfill the opening from said chamber into the box 46. The chamber 110 isformed in the stationary frame 1 and is closed at one side by thepivoted metal door 111,shown in Fig. 4. This door can be tilted down asindicated by the arrow, to expose the sprockets 29 and the ribbon whenneces sary.

The front by the tilting back of the machine, shown in Figs. 12 and '13.The tilting back comprises two ribs 112, pivoted at 113, to the israised into the position shown in Figs. 2,

3 and 13, where it isheld, for instance, by a swinging catch 116. (SeeFig. 12.) ()pposite the light opening 7, the plate 114 is pierced toaccommodate a frame 117 which carries a glass plate 118 and is held inp0 sition preferably by springs, for instance such as shown at 119 and120. Just below this, the tilting back is further provided .with aguiding ribbon-adjuster 121, which is placed, as shown, in front of theplate 114?, and fits against the ribbon: and sprockets 85, said devicebeing provided with grooves 122 in which the teeth of the sprocket maymove. Pins 123, on the back of the ribbon adjuster, pass out throughapertures in the plate 114:, and. upon these bear the springs 124,whereby the yielding action is secured. The function of theribbon-adjuster 121 is to maintain the'ribbon always in close engagement with the sprockets 85, and by its yielding nature itaccommodates differences in thickness and other irregularities in themoving ribbon.

, When in operation the ribbon 32 moves down between the portion 115 ofthe tilting back plate 114and what, may be termed a guard plate 125,shown best in Figs.1 3, 141, 15 and 18. The guard plate 125 is carriedby the sliding frame and has a straight portion 126 which lies flatagainst; the fixed plate "3 on the platform 5. The beading on the edgesof the opening 7 in said plate (3 extends backward through an opening127 in the guard plate, as shown in Figs. 13, 1 1, 15 and 18. Theopening 127 fits the vertical sides .of the beading, but-is elongatedabove and below it, so that, asthe frame 8 moves up and down, the plate125 slides upon this beading as a guide. At a point opposite the shaftof the sprockets 85, the

guard plate narrows sufficiently to pass be tween said sprockets and isbent forward to a bow shape as at 128, whereby a chamber.

is formed to accommodate the slack in the ribbon which forms between thesprockets 85 and 76. The guard plate thus serves at its upper portion toform a channel for the picture ribbon with the tilting back, and, at.its lower portion, it protects the slack portion of the ribbon andprevents it from buckling or becoming soiled. The ribbon is held againstthe sprockets 76 by appropriately grooved rollers 129 mounted on one ofthe ribs 112 of the tilting back, so that, when this latter is tippedbackward, the ribbon may be freed from the sprocket wheels. In Fig. 17is shown a preferred form of bearing for these rollers. Each roller hasan axle shown at 130, and has its bearing" in an eccentrically mountedrevoluble thimble 131, so that, by turning thethimble, the rollers maybe adjusted with respect to their distance from the sprockets 7 6.-Thisis very useful to. compensate for wear. On leaving the sprockets 76,the ribbon passes through a second fire proof chamber tot-he rollers 64,which latter substantially fill the opening to the reel box 63 and areso clow together as to prevent all passage of. flame through them. Thesecond fire proof chamber is inclosed between the curved plate 132 atthe bottomand the pivoted door 133 at the side- (See Figs. 2 and 4.)

By the use of the construction 'above described, the expensive picturebearing ribbon iseffectually protected from fire. Opposite the lightopening and for some distance above and below it, the ribbon movesthrough a channel so narrow as to practically exclude access of air,whereby combustion is prevented; and moreover, the contact of metalsurfaces on both sides of the ribbon carries away the heat so rapidly asto keep the ribbon reasonably'cool. If by any accident fire should reachthe ribbon, it would be arrested in one or the other of the fire proofchambers and could not spreadinto either of the coil boxes 1601' 63.

' It will be obvious to those skilled in this art that certain featuresof this machine may be used as well in cameras for taking pictures forkinetoscopes and the like as in moving picture machines themselves, andsuch features would also answer in machines for printing positives fromnegatives in a well known manner.' My claims are not to be confined,therefore, to moving picture machines. 4

A variety of forms may be given to th various parts of my improvedmechanism, without departing from my invention, and I do not limitmyself to the details herein shown and described.

hat I claim is- 1. A device of the class described comprising a ribbonroll carrier arranged to permit withdrawal of ribbon from the interiorof the roll, a cross frame hinged to the carrier' 2. A device of theclass ing a fixed main framework having a fire described comprissaidchamber by an opening and metal roll ers setclose together andsubstantially filling said opening, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class describedcomprising a main frame having a fireproof chamher at each of its two extremities, a separate roll-inclosingbox attached at each extremity of the frame and communicating with saidchambers respectively by narrow openings and metal rollers set closetogether and substantially filling each opening, substantially asdescribed.

4. A device of the class described comprising a frame having a fireproof chamber at one end, a roll-inclosing box mounted on said frame andcommunicating with said chamber through a narrow opening and a pivoteddoor inclosing said chamber on one side, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a ribbon movingsprocket-wheel, a pair of grooved rollers adapted to hold a pictureribbon in engagement therewith, eccentrically mounted bearings for saidrollers and means for turning said bearings whereby said rollers may beadjusted with respect to said sprocket wheel.

6.'A device of the class described comprising a fixed frame, a slidingframe mounted thereon. means on said sliding frame for supporting andmoving a picture ribbon and a tilting back pivoted to and carried bysaid sliding frame, substantially as described.

7. 'A device of the class described comprising a fixed plate having alight opening, a

, tilting hack having an opening behind said light opening, a removablewindow fitting said second opening, and means for moving a pictureribbon between the two openings.

8. A device of the class described comprising a fixed plate having alight opening, a second plate having an opening behind said lightopening, a spring-pressed window fitting said second opening, and meansfor moving a picture ribbon between the two openings, substantially asdescribed.

9. A device of the class described comprising a fixed plate having alight opening, a tilting back having an opening behind said lightopening, a removable window fitting said second opening, a perforatedguard plate between said tilting back and fixed plate, and means formoving a picture ribbon between said tilting back and sa1d guard plate,substantially as described.

10. A device of the class described comprising a framework,ribbon-moving apparatus mounted thereon and a tilting back, forprotecting the ribbon, pivoted to said framework, substantially asdescribed.

11. A device-of the class described comprising a framework, a pluralityof ribbon moving sprockets thereon, a tilting back pivoted to the lowerportion of said frame work and arranged to cover and protect the ribbon,and ribbon-confining rollers rotatably mounted on said tilting back andhaving grooves adapted to fit over the teeth in said sprockets wien thetilting back is raised,

and to be moved away from all of said sprockets when the back islowered.

12. A device of the class described comprising a framework,intermittently moving sprockets and constantly moving sprockets thereon,a tilting back pivoted to said framework, :1 yielding member carried bysaid tilting back and adapted to fit the curve of said intermittentsprockets and rollers rotatably mounted on said tilting back and adaptedto hold the ribbon against said constantly moving sprockets,substantially as described.

13. A device of the class described comprising a fixed framework and asecondary framework adapted to slide thereon; in combination with asplit lifting plate movably mounted upon the secondary frame, a diskfitting in said lifting plate, means for compressing the lifting platearound said disk, and a shaft fixed eccentrically on said disk andrevolubly mounted upon said fixed framework, substantially as described.

14. A device of the class described comprising a fixed framework and asecondary framework having horizontal ribs and an opening between saidribs; in combination witha lifting plate mounted so as to slide betweenthe ribs on said secondary framework, a disk carried by and fitting saidlift-- ing plate, and a shaft passing through said disk eccentricallyand also through said opening in the secondary framework, said shaftbeing made fast to said disk and being revolubly mounted upon said fixedframework, substantially as described.

15. A revoluble picture ribbon holder comprising a hollow shaft, aremovable reel thereon. a hook engaging with said reel to hold it inplace and having a shank pivoted within the hollow shaft, and anoperating plate adapted to slide within said shaft and having amechanical engagement with the shank of said hook for moving the same,substantiallyas described.

16. A revoluble picture ribbon holder, comprising a hollow shaft, aremovable reel thereon, a hook engaging with said reel to hold it inplace and having a shank pivoted within the hollow shaft, said shan'kcarrying a pin on its side, and an operating plate beside said hookwithin the hollow shaft, said plate having an inclined slot engagingwit-h said pin, substantially as described.

17. A device of the class described comprising two revoluble rollcarriers, guides for facilitating removal of ribbon from the interiorconvolutions of a roll in one cartive means and said r011 carriers fordriving rler, a posture gearmg for msurlng snnulthe latter whllepernnttlng 10st motion, subtaneous movement of the two r011 earners,stantlally as descnbed.

motive means for drawing ribbon from the CHARLES R. UEBELMESSER. 5interior convolutions of a roll in one carrier \Vitnessee:

and delivering it to the other carrier and H. S. MACKAYE,

power-transmitting means between said mo- M. A. BUTLER.

